


On A Moonlit Night...

by alafaye



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-01 09:31:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4014616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...a group of knights find themselves face to face with a pack of werewolves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On A Moonlit Night...

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt #161, moonlight, at the LJ community camelot_drabble and first posted [there](http://camelot-drabble.livejournal.com/747699.html).

"A werewolf?" Leon asked. He sound half skeptical, half afraid. "Aren't they just part of the tales parents tell their kids to keep them inside at night?"

"Of all the things we've faced off against, you don't believe in werewolves?" Gwaine argued.

Leon raised his eyebrow. "Weird spawns of magic, sure. Magic is weird. But people who can change between species?"

"It's like that Druid girl, a few years ago," Arthur said. "Remember?"

"Skin changers," Merlin said quietly. He shook his head, forcing himself to not think about Freya. He held out the book Gaius had given him. "They're apparently a lot more common than anyone knew."

"Still, a good reason to stay at home when it's dark," Leon pointed out.

"In more ways than one," Merlin explained. "Werewolves are one of the few skin changers who can infect even people without magic."

Arthur frowned. "So the reports we have that there is a pack of wolves doing this?"

Merlin nodded. "Might be a pack of werewolves. There isn't anything we can do except cut off their heads."

Gwaine wrinkled his nose. "There's no other way to kill them?"

"No," Lancelot said darkly. "I ran into one a few years ago. It might be a habit with the species, terrorizing villages because the one I met was doing the same. I injured it several times and once even lanced the stomach, but it wouldn't stop until I had removed the head."

"Well, if it is a pack and they are in the habit of terrorizing villagers, we need to stop it," Arthur said. "Merlin, is Gaius sure about it being a werewolf?"

"The bite marks aren't consistent with a wolf's," Merlin said, pointing to the picture of a werewolf's bite. "And there's one more thing. Remember how I said that they can infect people? They do it with a bite."

"So our witness?" Leon asked quietly.

Merlin nodded. "Gaius is going to give him something that will cause him to fall asleep. For good. It's the only way. He hasn't changed yet so a simple poison will do."

"Couldn't this poison kill the werewolves?" Lancelot asked.

"It would weaken them, but we'd have to introduce it into the water supply and it's poisonous to humans," Merlin explained.

Arthur sighed. "Right. Gather what knights will come--make sure they all take their armour. There's no need for anyone to get bitten if they can help it. It might not be werewolves--shut up, Merlin!--but I'd rather be prepared than not."

Merlin rolled his eyes, but left to gather their supplies.

~~~

"Full moon," Gwaine muttered as they neared the village three days later. "A night like this, with the moonlight, nothing quite like a good fuck. Women do look pretty in the moonlight."

"Shut up, will you?" Percy hissed.

"Aw, missing your lover?" Gwaine asked. "You only had to asked."

"No one wants to hear about how indiscriminate you are when it comes to sex," Leon pointed out cheerfully.

Gwaine winked at Merlin who shook his head, but blushed. Arthur narrowed his eyes jealously and Merlin shrugged, unashamed. The next look promised a Discussion later, but Merlin knew how to turn it around. (After all, he had practice when Arthur had found out about Lancelot and Merlin. And Arthur? Well, he was easily distracted.)

As the talk continued, something moved in the trees. Arthur raised his hand and the entire group dismounted, unsheathing their swords.

Someone in the back whispered, "Maybe it was just--" 

But what he thought it might have been was lost as they were descended upon by a pack of werewolves. At least six foot and half each, bigger than even Percy, the werewolves were worse than the book had described. And they were fierce too, putting up a fight with their teeth and claws that pushed them all to the edge.

Merlin raised his arm as one of the wolves leaned in, angling for his neck, and the wolf snarled, vicious, eyes glowing yellow. 

"The taste of magic," it hissed. "You should help us. The villagers, your prince there, none of them want you. They would rather see you dead."

"Not my prince," Merlin muttered and swung his sword.

It barely struck the wolf's neck and the wolf chuckled. "You'll need a lot more strength than that to kill me, Emrys."

Merlin spoke a quick spell and his knife burned a fiery red as it finished slicing through the wolf. It fell to the ground with a howl, smoking where it had been burned. Panting, Merlin turned, but the knights, he saw, were having the same struggle as he.

Swallowing hard, he reached deep inside for more strength and cast the burning spell on all of the knight's swords. Shouting and howling echoed in the woods as the battle quickly turned in favor of Arthur's men and moments later, they were all surrounded by dead werewolves.

"A sorcerer?" Leon asked. "Helping us?"

Gwaine raised an eyebrow at Merlin who shrugged sheepishly.

Arthur glared at Merlin. "Maybe it was that sorcerer that Gaius knows."

"Emrys?" Percy asked.

"Why would he do that?" someone else asked.

"If he hasn't shown himself, we're not going to find him to get the answer," Arthur said. "Let's continue to the village to let them know that the wolves are dead. And to find some food and shelter."

Arthur stalked toward Merlin with a glare as the knights began to lead the horses away from the carnage so they could make it to the next village without loosing a horse or a man. 

"Idiot," Arthur hissed.

Merlin shrugged. "I had to. We'd have lost most of them if I hadn't."

"Later," Arthur growled, "you and I are going to have talk about doing magic where no one can see you."

Merlin rolled his eyes.


End file.
